At NAB (booth #C11001) Sony will show a new palm-sized HD camcorder that uses a gyro-stabilized-style lens assembly to ensure steady shots with a single hand. Sony is calling it the smallest, lightest handheld professional camcorder is currently offers to professionals. The new HXR-NX30U will be available in June for a list price of $2,500.
The new HXR-NX30U camcorder, part of Sony’s NXCAM line, employs the company’s proprietary Balanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilization technology to reduce camera shake in challenging shooting applications. It combines the entire lens and image sensor assembly into one floating element that moves as a unit to protect against an unsteady hand.
Chiyoko Yannette, marketing manager at Sony Electronics’ Professional Solutions of America group, said the new camcorder is ideal for shooting in situations where other stabilization equipment is not practical such as on-board a vehicle or in a crowd.
The HXR-NX30U records at full 1920 x 1080 HD resolution using a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens (35mm equivalent: 26.0mm -260mm). The camcorder’s 1/2.88-inch image sensor uses Sony’s Exmor R CMOS technology, which Sony says significantly enhances low-light performance, speeds image readout, reduces rolling shutter artifacts and enables a range of frame rates - 1080/60p, 1080/30p, 24p, 60i, 720/60p. (PAL model – 1080/50p, 25p, 50i and 720/50p.)
Using AVCHD recording, the camera includes 96 GB of internal memory (for approximately 40 hours of HD content storage), with a single slot that accepts either an SD or Memory Stick media card for additional recording capacity. A built-in video projector lets users play back images of up to 100 inches from a distance of about 16 feet (5m) on any flat surface. This feature is ideal for reviewing footage in the field or on a set, when a monitor is either not available or convenient to use.
The HXR-NX30U also features a detachable XLR unit and professional-quality audio, record level control, the option of Linear PCM audio recording, time code, and the ability to reset time code on multiple NXCAMs via infrared remote control.
